MONK QUICKLY BACK IN HABIT
But losing start for Cowley
GARRY MONK won the battle of the new bosses to leave Sheffield Wednesday dreaming of the top and Huddersfield dreading the drop.
Monk was victorious in his first match in charge of Wednesday and feels they can challenge for promotion.
Steven Fletcher and Sam Winnall scored to condemn Huddersfield manager Danny Cowley to defeat in his opening game and they remain next to bottom with just one point.
Wednesday reached the playoffs in 2016 and 2017, and Monk said: “The nucleus of this squad has been together for a few years and they had a fantastic time three or four years ago when they got very close to getting to the Premier League.
“Maybe in the last two years they have not reached those levels and when people want to doubt you, then you need to show personality and belief.
“We know what we’re capable of and we’re a big club. The expectation will be to push for promotion to the Premier League, but other clubs think that too.”
Huddersfield’s winless league run is now 18 games and Cowley says he is relishing trying to stop them sliding straight through to League One.
The Terriers’ new manager, who has been working 14-hour days since he took over on Monday, said: “We learnt a lot, which we expected to. We found a club and a team who are hurting.
“I want to be excited when I wake up in the morning and have that feeling when your back is up against the wall because that brings the best out of me.”
Monk pushed the classy Adam Reach up front with Fletcher, and the tweak brought the opening goal when Fletcher headed home to crown a 16-pass move.
Wednesday worked the ball out to Kadeem Harris, who skinned Florent Hadergjonaj and crossed for Fletcher to get between centre-halves Christopher Schindler and Tommy Elphick and head his fourth goal of the season.
It says a lot that Terence Kongolo, restored at left-back, had three of the hosts’ best efforts.
Wednesday, who were happy to let Huddersfield have the ball, dealt with what little the home side could muster.
Winnall scored his first Wednesday goal since August 2017 with a glancing header from Barry Bannan’s cross. HUDDERSFIELD (4-3-3): Grabara 6; Hadergjonaj 4, Elphick 5, Schindler 5, Kongolo 7; Chalobah 6, Hogg 6, O’Brien 5 (Bacuna 56, 5); Diakhaby 6 (Mbenza 56, 5), Campbell 6 (Mounie 77, 5), Grant 6.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (4-4-2): Westwood 6; Odubajo 6, Iorfa 6, Borner 6, Palmer 7; Murphy 6 (Winnall 60, 7), Bannan 7, Hutchinson 6, Harris 8 (Lee 86); Reach 7, Fletcher 7 (Nuhiu 83). Goals: Fletcher 10, Winnall 72.